Reconstruction of Telangana means reviving all the lakes in the State, said KCR.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao inaugurated a new Secretariat building, 265 feet tall and built over 10.5 lakh square feet in a sprawling 28 acres, in Hyderabad today. "Today is a red letter day in the history of Telangana," he said after inaugurating the structure.
"The marvel structure of the new Secretariat is the epicentre of the state administration. I feel blessed and fortunate to have inaugurated the wonderful new secretariat," he added.
The building has been named after BR Ambedkar with the intention that people's representatives and the entire government machinery should work to realise the ideals of the Architect of the Indian Constitution, the Chief Minister, popularly known as KCR, said.
Slamming his detractors, KCR said, "Some Political Lilliputs enemies created hurdles to the construction of the new Secretariat by demolishing the old building in the same place". "Reconstruction of Telangana means reviving all the lakes in the State that remained dry due to lack of attention in the undivided Andhra Pradesh," he added.
A 'Sudarsana Yagam' was performed from 6 AM and Mr Rao occupied his chambers on the sixth floor in the newly-constructed building after the rituals concluded at around 1.30 PM. The Ministers of the State government also occupied their respective chambers.
KCR at the newly-constructed building.
Considering the inadequacies of the former Secretariat complex built during undivided Andhra Pradesh, a government-appointed expert committee favoured the construction of a new building.
The Chief Minister laid the foundation stone for the construction of the Secretariat on June 27, 2019, but the works started only in January 2021, delayed by the covid-19 pandemic, court cases and other issues.
Vemula Prashant Reddy, minister of Legislative Affairs and Housing of Telangana, had said the new Secretariat will expedite the completion of work and coordination between the ministers, secretaries and officials.
"The older secretariat had blocks which were 70 years old, a few were 40 years old, and some others, built 20 years ago appear old and unorganised. The ministers, secretaries, and other officials used to sit at different blocks, which made the work a lengthy and challenging affair," Mr Reddy said.
The domes of the new Secretariat have been built in the styles of the Neelakanteswara Swamy temple of the Kakatiya period in Nizamabad, designs of the palaces of the royals of Wanaparthy 'Samsthanam' in Telangana and the pattern of the Hanuman temple in Sarangpur, Gujarat, according to a government release.